DHAMAAL 4 IS A HUGE SUCCESS; DEFIES ALL PRE-RELEASE EXPECTATIONS

The box office is on a high right at present. After Welcome To The Jungle, Dhamaal 4 has now rocked the box office. In fact, it's doing way better than Welcome’s third part. The film was expected to open around Rs. 10-12 crores. But it managed an opening of Rs. 14 crores. However, it’s the Saturday jump which was the most impressive. The film accumulated a whopping Rs. 22.50 crores on day 2 and Rs. 28 crores on Day 3.

Usually, films drop by 50% on Monday compared to Friday. But Dhamaal 4’s drop was minimal on day 4, when it collected Rs. 8.25 crores. A mini-miracle happened on Tuesday when the film earned more – Rs. 9.50 crores. This is the norm now, but it occurs because Tuesday tickets are sold at a discount. In Dhamaal 4's case, the makers didn’t sell tickets at cheaper rates since the film was doing so well. Yet, it saw a rise in the collections.

Dhamaal 4 has collected Rs. 82.25 crores in 5 days and is expected to earn around Rs. 95 crores in Week 1. On its second Friday, the film will cross the Rs. 100 crore mark. It’ll now certainly go past the lifetime numbers of Welcome To The Jungle. The aim of Dhamaal 4 is to cross the lifetime earnings of Total Dhamaal – Rs. 150.07 crores. That shouldn’t be a problem, though the drop on the eighth day will give a fair idea about it.

The first half of the year has seen fair results with very few major releases until the last month of the first half. DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE was the stand out and although it was expected to be huge due to the results of DHURANDHAR, you still have to do the business and its always easier said than done especially when targets are so high.

The film emerged the third biggest blockbuster this century after GADAR and BAAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION and is up there among the top 10-15 blockbusters of all time. The 1000 crore nett business done by this film is what propels the first half if you look at cumulative business. If this film was not there, the cumulative first six month total will be pretty bad.

BORDER 2 was the second biggest HIT of the first six months and as it was sandwiched between the DHURANDHAR films and on top the comparison was the insane business of GADAR 2. So, it was perceived that it could have done better but eventually the dust settles and 300 crore nett plus is a big number. The BORDER films remain the only WAR films to have done huge business in India.

The other two HITS of the year were the Akshay Kumar starrers BHOOTH BANGLA and WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE (potential HIT) as both scored good figures in the Hindi belts. BHOOTH BANGLA had an open run for weeks while WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE came in a hugely clustered period. Yet, it still went through well which is a huge victory as today numbers are difficult when there is competition all around due to less people coming to watch films in cinemas.

The low budget THE KERALA STORY 2: GOES BEYOND also did very well getting benefit of the awareness of the previous film though this one held up well enough also. So, obviously some of the audience liked it. The other two moderate successes were MAIN VAAPAS AAUNGA and MARDAANI 3.

The two biggest films ever made in Hindi cinema will release in the second half of the year with RAMAYANA and KING. Though its tough to be confident in the box office scenario today, you can be hopeful with the scale and casts these films will have.

The classifications of the first half of the year is as follows.

1. Dhurandhar The Revenge - ALL TIME BLOCKBUSTER

2. Border 2 - SUPER HIT

3. Bhooth Bangla - HIT

4. Welcome To The Jungle - HIT/SEMI HIT

5. The Kerala Srory 2: Goes Beyond - SEMI HIT

6. Main Vaapus Aaunga - AVERAGE

7. Mardaani 3 - AVERAGE

Actor Suniel Shetty returned to his comic avatar, reuniting with some of his iconic co-stars from the ’90s, including Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal, in Welcome To The Jungle. The trio was also expected to be seen together in the highly anticipated Hera Pheri 3, but the film is now in limbo due to filmmaker Priyadarshan having exited the project.

“Hera Pheri is the biggest comedy franchise of my career and the nostalgia attached to it is just so heartwarming. With the memes and the film’s recall value, who wouldn’t want that to happen? Fingers crossed, hopefully after Welcome To The Jungle, something magical should happen,” he tells us.

Speaking about the recent release emerging as a success at the box office, Shetty believes that it marks a new avenue for Bollywood.

“We’ve forgotten what family entertainment means. That’s why the film is a success. I am hoping more such entertainers will come into play,” he says, adding, “The film’s success is as much of Akshay as it is Raveena’s (Tandon), Paresh bhai’s, Johny’s (Lever), mine, or any other actor’s. I piggybacked on Akshay, Paresh ji and Raveena to be a part of this successful franchise, and I am glad I wasn’t insecure with these people around me.”

DHAMAAL 4 OPENS WELL; ALPHA HAS 30 CR+ WEEKEND DESPITE NEGATIVITY

Dhamaal 4 has released today and managed a fine opening. The advance booking of the film began, well, way in advance, in the sense that nearly all single screens got a chance to play the film with no competition from holdover releases. The spot bookings came into play; earlier, it seemed doubtful that the film would open at more than Rs. 10 crores.

However, Dhamaal 4 is set for an opening of Rs. 13 crores, which is way beyond expectations. Welcome To The Jungle had opened at Rs. 15 crores and ended up earning Rs. 60 crores in the weekend, excluding the paid preview. Hence, Dhamaal 4 should now aim to collect Rs. 48-50 crores in three days. The franchise factor and the comic nature of the film have proved beneficial.

Total Dhamaal had opened at Rs. 15.91 crores and then went on to collect Rs. 150.07 crores in its lifetime. It had a clean run and a great word of mouth, which led to such huge collections.

In the case of Dhamaal 4, the response at present seems mixed. However, this film also enjoys a clean run. There’s no competition for the next three weeks, until the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. So, if it has a strong weekend and holds well during the weekdays, it’ll have a healthy run. Even a Rs. 100 crore + lifetime will be good enough.

Meanwhile, last week’s Alpha also fared better than expected. It opened at Rs. 9 crores and then went on to collect Rs. 11.50 crores on Saturday and Rs. 13 crores on Sunday. Hence, it collected Rs. 33.50 crores in its first three days despite bad word of mouth and immense negativity on social media. It yet again proved that trolls have zero impact on the box office.

However, due to negative reports, the film did crash on Monday. Its first week collections amount to Rs. 46.25 crores. The best scenario for the film would be to earn Rs. 60 crores in its lifetime.

Few actors can boast the longevity and continued relevance that Farida Jalal has enjoyed, remaining one of the most enduring and active performers in the industry till date. Her latest film, Welcome to the Jungle, is a testament to her prowess, and she is enjoying the immense love that it has brought to her. “God’s kind! Compliments are flowing in from everyone... This is our reward as actors,” says Jalal.

The veteran actor recalls her character was fleshed out quite spontaneously. “Akshay (Kumar, actor), Ahmed (Khan, director) and I were sitting together when Akshay suddenly got a call and the girl on the other end kept jabbering. After the call ended, Akshay said ‘everyone knows you for your dialogue delivery.. Let’s have you do something without proper dialogues now’, and I thought, let’s give it a shot,” shares the 77-year-old.

The film was as much a laugh riot behind the scenes as it is on screen. “It was one royal picnic. Everyone had fun and took care of each other, especially Akshay and Ahmed who looked after everyone,” she says.

The film’s success just adds to her feeling of gratitude. “The world still remembers my first film Aradhana (1969). People come to me, hold my hands and share how my character in various films impacted them or their lives. It’s rewarding. If God asks me, I’d say in all my next lives too, I’d want the same life, the same career,” she gushes.

Jalal has some iconic films to her name, including Bobby (1973), Henna (1991), Mammo (1994) and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), among others. Yet, there is still one unfulfilled wish she has in her long and illustrious career.

“Many times, I felt I was boxed in as a mother figure. I wanted to play challenging roles, maybe a lawyer, a doctor, or something unexpected. Nobody has really touched that side of me at all, my talent is still untapped. Hardly anyone has seen what I can really do. I want to tell filmmakers that let me show you what I am capable of. Give me a negative role, let me surprise you. But I am not the kind of person who doesn’t go out and ask for work. So, there is a slight pain there,” she ends.

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“Welcome To The Jungle shoot was one royal picnic. Everyone had fun and took care of each other, especially Akshay and Ahmed (Khan, director), who looked after everyone... Compliments are flowing in from everyone, and this is our reward as actors.”

Welcome To The Jungle belongs to the Tees Maar Khan-style brainrot category. Films of this kind are rarely made and hence, it arrives at the right time. The plot is bizarre and logic takes a backseat. However, the makers’ aim is to make you laugh, and the film succeeds on that front. Moreover, a few characters come with outrageous quirks, and the humour often borders on the offensive. Thankfully, it lands well; again, we haven’t seen this kind of humour in a long time, and that adds to its appeal. A surprise in the second half also keeps the interest going. On the flipside, the plot is like a bhel puri of too many films, and some of them are unjustified. A few actors are also forced into the story for the heck of it. An important track in the first half is bad and weakens the pre-interval portion. Speaking of performances, Akshay Kumar is in top form, as expected. Suniel Shetty and Arshad Warsi come next. Disha Patani looks stunning and delivers a decent performance, though she hardly mouths any dialogues. Jacqueline Fernandez raises some laughs. Jackie Shroff and Vindoo Dara Singh are able as villains. Raveena Tandon leaves a mark, while Lara Dutta is very disappointing. Johny Lever, Paresh Rawal, Rajpal Yadav and Shreyas Talpade are dependable. Krushna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda, Mukesh Tiwari and Yashpal Sharma are wasted, while Daler Mehndi delivers an embarrassing performance. Late Pankaj Dheer, Feroze Khan and Puneet Issar are entertaining. Urvashi Rautela, Jeetu Verma (Dominic) and Sudesh Berry (Vikrant Singh) are fine in small roles. Lastly, Farida Jalal and Kiran Kumar are the surprise packages of the film; see it to believe it! All in all, Welcome To The Jungle is not the perfect comic caper, but it manages to raise laughs and give audiences a paisa-vasool time.

My rating - *** ½ out of 5!

WILL WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE EMERGE AS ANOTHER HIT FOR AKSHAY KUMAR AFTER BHOOTH BANGLA?

From today, 7:30 pm onwards, the paid previews of Welcome To The Jungle will begin across the country. The film has been in the news ever since it got launched, thanks to the popularity of the series, mainly the first part. Moreover, the film is arguably the biggest multi-starrer of all time.

Welcome To The Jungle stars Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Disha Patani, Jacqueline Fernandez, Arshad Warsi, Jackie Shroff, Paresh Rawal, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, Farida Jalal, Johny Lever, Shreyas Talpade, Tusshar Kapoor, Rajpal Yadav, Krushna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda, Daler Mehndi, Aftab Shivdasani, Mukesh Tiwari, Yashpal Sharma, Kiran Kumar, Zakir Hussain, Vindu Dara Singh, Urvashi Rautela, Hemant Pandey, Brijendra Kala, Feroze Khan, Late Pankaj Dheer, Puneet Issar, Sudesh Berry and many more. It is directed by Ahmed Khan, while the first two parts – Welcome and Welcome Back – were directed by Anees Bazmee.

The teaser and trailer of Welcome To The Jungle have been entertaining and it looks like a grand, fun-filled entertainer. However, the challenges remain. The trailer hasn’t wowed the audience. The songs, though quirky, have not worked as intended.

As a result, as it usually happens, people have decided to wait for the response and then book tickets. This is also reflected in the advance sales, though the bookings until now are decent. There was hope that Welcome To The Jungle would emerge as Akshay Kumar’s highest opener by crossing the earnings of Mission Mangal (Rs. 28.45 crores). However, it seems like it's not going to happen. At best, the hope is that the film will open in the range of Rs. 17 crores and Rs. 20 crores on Friday. As for paid previews, Bhooth Bangla collected Rs. 3.50 crores and Welcome To The Jungle should aim at crossing this figure.

Meanwhile, Main Vaapas Aaunga collected more than the first week’s collections in the second weekend. While Week 1 earnings were Rs. 11.23 crores, its second week collections were Rs. 11.50 crores. It is rock-steady on weekdays as well. The film is expected to cross the Rs. 30 crore mark by the end of its second week.

As for Cocktail 2, it opened at Rs. 12.25 crores and went on to earn Rs. 15.50 crores and Rs. 16.50 crores on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. But it dropped to Rs. 5.25 crores on Monday, while Tuesday's jump was limited, when it earned Rs. 5.50 crores. The film has earned Rs. 55 crores in 5 days. As of now, a lifetime of Rs. 100 crore seems like a remote possibility.